News&Events

Archive supports Miller's freelancing history

On Friday 26th May, the launch of the Celebration of Cinematography was held in Canberra, in association with the Australian Cinematographers Society and the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA).

The NFSA held a launch cocktail party for the festival on the Friday evening. Miller Camera Support Equipment in collaboration with Australia’s first freelance cinematographer John Leake ACS donated John’s first Miller Light Professional Fluid Head and Tripod purchased in September 1960 at the same time John registered his freelance company John Leake Cinematography.

John Leake ACS presented the tripod to the NFSA’s director Dr Paolo Cherchi Usai. During the presentation John spoke of the importance of the Miller Fluid Head technology brought to the field of cinematography, the places and projects where the tripod had accompanied him, the now-famous camera assistants such as Andrew Lesnie ACS ASC, Peter James ACS and David Gribble ACS that had carried this particular tripod and what an honour it was to have his gear submitted to the NFSA.

Mark Clementson, a director of Miller Camera Support Equipment, also addressed the crowd at the launch party and commented how honoured Miller was to be invited to the event and to have the tripod entered into the NFSA. That Miller would continue to support the John Leake's of the future by continuing the commitment to supporting the Australian Cinematographers Society and its members.

A dossier of documents about John Leake ACS and the Miller Light Professional Fluid head and tripod was also submitted to the National Film and Sound Archive detailing the career history of the cinematographer John Leake ACS and a background of the Australian company that changed the capture of quality images over 50 years ago and its importance to the field of cinematography with its fluid head technology.